A Young Woman's Heart

Although she had taken home economics classes, Yu Shu still lacked confidence in this area.

"Oh! The neighbor said my grandpa went to play cards and won't be back tonight. He left me some money to buy things myself."

"Do you plan to buy groceries and cook for yourself?"

"Hmm—never mind, I'll just have instant noodles!"

"Okay, let's keep it simple." Wu Shanshan had no objections; in fact, she quite liked instant noodles.

Jiang Yu nodded vigorously and ran inside to rummage through drawers and cabinets.

Soon, she brought out a whole bunch of board games.

Monopoly, checkers, Ludo...

These are all things that can be played by three people together.

Today is Friday, and tomorrow is Saturday, so there's not much of a rush to do homework.

—After all, the homework for the second-year students at Yukong High School is very little, so they have a relatively easy time.

Jiang Yu pointed forcefully at the pile of board games, indicating that they should choose one.

“Monopoly? It’s a bit more complicated, and more interesting.” That’s what Wu Shanshan chose.

But Yu Shu's gaze swept over the pile of things, and she timidly pointed to the unopened box.

"Hmm?" Jiang Yu pointed to the packaging box with the words "Ghost Brand" written on it and checked again.

"Uh-huh……"

"Joker? I don't think I've ever played this before."

"Hmm—it's a horror game." Jiang Yuru flipped it over and looked at the densely packed small print.

Each card in this game represents a supernatural game, which can be played in any combination. It can be played by a minimum of two players and a maximum of five.

The box also contained matching items, which were quite well-made.

In addition, it can also be used as a divination card, but not a regular tarot card divination; rather, it is a more special form of psychic divination.

Although the atmosphere was deliberately designed to be scary, Yu Shu was still a little nervous, probably because she felt both excited and scared.

"Yu Shu actually likes playing horror games?"

"Um... I... I was... challenging myself..."

"Hmm—!" Jiang Yuruo gave a thumbs up with admiration. "Then—let's play this!"

Chapter 106 Blocked by the Rain

(One)

"Howl like a wolf over the field!"

"Awooo—"

"Then let's just use an instant noodle container instead of a bowl?"

"OK!"

"Place the bowl on the ground, light a match and drop it in, then place a mirror on top."

"All right."

"Finally, light a red candle, shake it in mid-air to let the wax form a circle, and then stick it into the ground after thirty seconds."

"One second, two seconds, three seconds..."

"If anything strange happens, do not extinguish the candle; if anything dangerous happens, break the mirror immediately."

"no problem!"

Wu Shanshan and Jiang Yuruo were having a great time, while Yu Shu stood aside trembling.

……

(two)

Jiang Yuruo, who was originally planning to play at home, decided to make the scary atmosphere even more intense and dragged everyone out.

Behind the house are vast stretches of farmland, but many families haven't planted anything in them yet, so the land is currently abandoned, making it seem even more desolate.

Even without playing any horror games, just standing here, Yu Shu already had many terrifying scenes flashing through her mind.

"When the match goes out, it means a ghost has come. At this time, you can ask a question, but the other party can only answer yes or no. If yes, the mirror will not move; if no, the mirror will fall over. If a strange reflection appears in the mirror, you must run away. You cannot run back; you must run forward with the candle until the candle goes out before you can go home. Hmm, this is the explanation of the three-card combination." Wu Shanshan carefully read the complicated instruction manual by the dim light of the candle.

The instruction manual alone is dozens of pages long.

Each possible combination of ghost-summoning games above has been explained in detail.

Some are more detailed, while others are only a few words long.

Yu Shu's heart immediately jumped into her throat.

At this moment, it seemed as if the wind blowing was the sound of ghosts moving about.

There was no starlight or moonlight in the sky; it was a dark, oppressive expanse that made it almost suffocating.

"Do you have any questions for me, Yu Shu?" Wu Shanshan asked, looking at her.

Jiang Yuruo squatted down next to the instant noodle container and clapped her hands excitedly: "It's burned out!"

"Eh? I...I...I...uh...can I go to the same university as Xiaoyao?" Yu Shu said in a flustered and soft voice, the cold wind making her purse her lips.

The instant noodle container was suddenly blown about by the wind, and the mirror tipped straight backward.

Yu Shu couldn't help but clench the hem of her dress.

But Jiang Yuruo suddenly shouted at this moment: "Ah, a strange light!"

Then she grabbed the still-dripping candle and ran ahead.

Yu Shu and Wu Shanshan didn't have time to think before rushing forward with her, as if they would be caught up by the ghosts behind them if they ran too slow.

The wind howled, and the soft touch of the earth beneath their feet made them drift further and further away from the streetlights as they plunged into the fog of darkness. The candles flickered with tiny flames, offering little illumination for their path ahead.

……

(three)

Having grown accustomed to city life, Yu Shu rarely experiences the true darkness of the night.

There were no city lights, no starlight or moonlight overhead.

This is the real night.

The three of them huddled together in front of a small candle, squatting under a tree that had lost all its leaves.

"It'll be finished burning soon, we can go back now." Wu Shanshan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm exhausted... Ruoruo, what did you see just now?"

"Light!" Although she couldn't see her face clearly, Yu Shu could sense her excitement. "Blue light!!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Jiang Yuru nodded vigorously.

"Maybe it's a will-o'-the-wisp..."

"But how will we get back after the candles burn out?" Yu Shu asked a serious question in a low voice.

Although you can see the lights of the streets and houses in the distance when you look back, it's still not very safe if there's no light on the road ahead.

Even if the candlelight can't actually illuminate the road, it can at least offer some psychological comfort.

Without saying a word, Jiang Yuruo took a small flashlight out of her pocket.

"They actually prepared this in advance?" Wu Shanshan was somewhat impressed.

“In the countryside, this is an essential tool when going out.” Jiang Yu shook the small but bright flashlight, which could even clearly illuminate the brown, soft soil.

The candle finally burned out, and the red wax solidified on the muddy ground, still emitting wisps of smoke.

"Click." The flashlight was turned on again, and Jiang Yuruo took the lead.

There was a slightly damp feeling in the air, and Yu Shu subconsciously touched the top of her head—she felt like it was about to rain.

……

(four)

The moment the door closed, a torrential downpour began outside.

The dense curtain of rain divided the world into two parts—indoors and outdoors.

Yu Shu carefully used the scrubbing brush by the door to remove the mud from the soles of her shoes before entering the living room.

She was supposed to go home that night, but the heavy rain kept her from doing so.

I don't know how long the rain will last, and the nearest station is quite a distance away.

Although she had an umbrella, she was afraid to walk alone at night.

I want someone to give me a gift, but I'm too embarrassed to ask.

"Want to sleep together?" Jiang Yuruo's words made her subconsciously nod in agreement after hesitating for a while.

"Wear my pajamas? Hmm... they're a little big for you though."

"It's...it's okay..."

I just worked up a sweat, so of course I need to take a shower.

Although she comes from a semi-rural family, Jiang Yuruo is surprisingly clean.

However, the bathing didn't take place at home, but in the bathhouse next to the grocery store.

—In winter, Jiang Yuruo's family can't get hot water from the showerhead.

So the girls who had just returned home went out again.

Walking along the eaves, without needing an umbrella, past the swaying incandescent lights of the general store, you arrive at the much brighter entrance of the bathhouse.

The people who came to bathe were mostly from nearby villages, and it seemed rather deserted, probably because of the rain today.